Patellar Tendinitis
Do you run, play sports or just have pain the lower portion of your knee cap? Well, the blog might just be for you.
Patellar tendinitis, or jumper’s knee, is a common condition in runners, basketball players, and other athletes. It results from inflammation to the patellar tendon/ligament, which is just below our knee cap (patella). This tendon connects your patella to the top portion of your tibia bone. What causes patellar tendinitis? There are many factors that can aggravate the patellar tendon, but we will discuss 2 of the main causes.
Forgetting to progress: Let’s use my friend Bob as an example. Bob was your average couch potato. He was 5 feet 10 inches, 200 pounds, and felt that it was necessary he started exercising for health reasons. One day, Bob was watching a video on YouTube of the 2016 Rio Olympic Marathon. He instantly felt a surge of motivation in his blood, and wiped the dust off of his old running shoes. Without a second thought, Bob mapped out 5 miles on his phone and went for a run. By the time he got back to his house, he was barely able to walk inside. The next day, Bob’s knee was inflamed and he had difficulty bearing weight through his leg. What caused this situation? The running, or the Bob’s lack of progression? The answer is obvious.
Muscular weakness in hips/knees: It is important to have strong legs while performing a physical activity such as running or playing basketball. There are various muscles in the legs, but a few major ones come to mind. Be sure to strengthen your quads, gluts (gluteus medius, minimus, and maximus), and tibialis anterior. Visit link below for helpful exercises.
Quads (2:50-3:53)
Glutes (3:53-5:10)
Tibialis Anterior (5:10-6:14)
Written by Kenneth Kells III, DPT